Beerel's research field is in asynchronous circuits and design tools. Asynchronous circuits have many benefits in high performance network and interconnection applications. They enable higher performance and lower power than functionally equivalent synchronous circuits because they are not constrained to a global clock to synchronize communication and computation. The technology could lead to significant improvements in high performance network chips, low power cell phone chips, and laptops.

Peter Beerel

Beerel, one of the leading research pioneers in the area, was cited for “innovative design and computer-aided design (CAD) tools that significantly advance the application of asynchronous circuits in modern VLSI chips."

Beerel received his B.S.E. degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 1989, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1991 and 1994, respectively. He joined USC in 1994.

In addition to his electrical engineering appointment, Beerel was the faculty director of Innovation Studies at the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation. He has also received many awards and honors for his research and teaching, including a National Science Foundation Career Award, a USC Zumberge Fellowship, and several best research paper awards.